Regular physical practice is understood as an element that generates a multitude of physical, psychological and social benefits. Adolescence is an essential stage for the acquisition of risky behaviors and habits ... [+]

Regular physical practice is understood as an element that generates a multitude of physical, psychological and social benefits. Adolescence is an essential stage for the acquisition of risky behaviors and habits related to health. Adolescents who perform sports and / or physical activity engage in healthier behaviors than physically inactive youth. The objective of the present study was to explore whether the practice of competitive sports increases the emotional well-being, using a sample of adolescent girls. A sample of 78 adolescent girls aged 13-14 years was used (38 of them performed sports competitively –affiliated in clubs for more than 4 years and currently practicing sports– and 40 were non-athletes), who completed a battery of psychological instruments in different sessions. Preliminary data indicate that the group of adolescents who engaged in competitive sports (CPS), compared to the non-sports group, showed lower scores on the Anxiety and Depression subscales of BASC-S3, as well as on the Negative Affect scale of of PANAS-N. In addition, they showed higher scores on the Self-Esteem subscale of BASC-S3, and the Emotional Clarity and Repair subscales of TMMS-24. These results suggest a direct and positive relationship between physical exercise and psychological health. Moreover, they suggest that, in order to contribute to the comprehensive training of athletes, it is highly important to develop a good psychological training program that could provide them with emotional strategies and abilities to cope with the high levels of anxiety that characterize the sport competition. [-]